TAG / OVERDOSE DEATHS

Overdose deaths are falling and more than 69,000 lives have been saved, but new synthetic drug threats underscore the need for prevention efforts like the Truth About Drugs.

Prosecutors say operators of a Bronx day care hid kilos of fentanyl under a trap door above which children played and slept. A 22-month-old boy died and three other children were hospitalized after exposure.

With deaths falling in 90 percent of states, experts warn gains depend on continued prevention, education and vigilance nationwide.

A surge in overdoses tied to the synthetic compound 7-OH has triggered emergency action in Los Angeles County. Regulators warn that products sold as natural remedies mask opioid-like disasters.

Potent synthetic opioids up to 500 times stronger than morphine are flooding the US despite rising enforcement. Experts warn only education can cut demand and stop the cycle of lethal new drugs.

Fentanyl-stimulant overdose deaths among seniors have soared 9,000 percent in eight years as fentanyl increasingly appears in cocaine and meth.

Pills once measured in tens of milligrams now exceed 350, fueling hospitalizations and public health alarms.

The bill closes loopholes that allowed cartels to alter fentanyl formulas, sealing the legal gaps exploited for profit and death.

Speedballing is the cartel’s newest formula for addiction—and for death. Some 35,000 Americans die each year from fatal drug cocktails mixing opioids and stimulants.

America’s overdose death toll fell sharply in 2024, with fentanyl deaths down nearly 37 percent. But experts warn the crisis is far from over.